INSIDER'S PICK: 2018 DOMAINE BENASTRA COTES CATALANES BLANC $20.99

At a time like this, it's pretty much impossible to be 'normal'. But it is important to try and keep what you can as close to normal as you can while you can. Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.

The Languedoc-Roussillon region of France is quickly becoming the hot destination for young winemakers to strike out and be innovative, especially those that find the more established appellation systems too restrictive. Joseph Paille grew up in the wine industry in Anjou, and after his education took him across the globe (even a brief stint in Virginia during the early 2000s) joined with his stepfather Jo Pithon to create the Pithon Paille winery. For almost a decade they built a very accomplished name together, but Joseph felt the pull of doing something new, and went to Roussillon to start Domaine Benastra. Sourcing old vineyards and taking his extensive organic/bidynamic farming expertise honed in the Loire to new territories, he's building wines that are leaping to the forefront of the region. Built from an even blend of Macabeo (some vines as old as 70 years) and Grenache Blanc and using both used barrels and large foudres for aging, this white shows both traditional and 'naturalist' appeal. Naturally occurring malolactic fermentation gives the wine a some rich pear and white fruit aromas, as well as rounding out the texture on the palate, but doesn't extinguish the zest and vibrancy of the fruit. The use of native yeasts is definitely present to perk up the subtle minty herb tones and a bit of tangy acidity to the finish, but doesn't dominate the character of the wine. A great match with fairly full bodied fish and white meat dishes, able to handle strong herb or salty ingredients with relative ease.

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